Transmission



am 25 1927' z, ALEXANDER TRANSMISSION Filed July 22, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l u n d w W Z WML NSMRN Jan. A 25 1927.

Z. ALEXANDER TRANSMISSION Filed July 22, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 25, 1927.

l lulairr-:n STATI-:s

1,615,207 PATENT OFFICE.

' ,lr'zazNov ALEXANDER, or KANSAS crrmmrssounr.

' y TRANSMISSION.

` appueaaon area July 2,2, .1925. serial No. 45,234.

varyngload conditions, such as are found in thepropulsion of autovehicles. Thusthe interposition oia clutchbetween the driving motor Vandthe transmission becomes unnecessary, as whenvmanual means must be employed to eiect -a change vin gear ratio between the 'elements of the transmission.

With this object lin view, the invention consists in a construction andcombina'tion. ofgparts of which apreferred embodiment is illustrated' in the-accompanying drawings, wherein: i, y l i' Figure 1' is a central 'longitudinal sec# tional view ofthe invention. f l Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on the plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view on the plane indicated by ther line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Completely housed within the casing 10, thevv transmission comprises driving and driven elements of which the shaft'llY of"y the former rotates in an antifriction bearing 12 in the forward removable'wall of the lcasing through which it protrudes for connection to the driving motor or engine. At the rear end, the shaft 11 has ajournal 14 supported in a sleeve bearing 15 carried in al hub 16 formed as an integral part of the stub shaft 17 projecting through the rear wall of the casing for connection to the "load, such as the propeller shaft of an auto vehicle. The stub shaft rotates 4in an antifriction bearing 18 supported in the rear wall` of the casing. t

Disposed in surrounding relation to the drive shaft is a rotary casing consisting of forward and rear castings 19 and 20, the rear casting being secured to the hub 16 as by rivets 21 and the two castings being united by bolts 22 which serve to secure them to an annular gear 23, this gear being interposed between the two castings. The rotary casing thus rotates with the stub shaft 17 and thus with the load, the bearing 18 serving as its rear bearing and antifriction bearing 24 serving as its forward bearing, this bearing being exterior tol and in surrounding relation with the hub 'portion 25 afa 'plaira miei 26,1118 p larief carrier.

being `carried by a sleeveA 27 to; which it is keyed, as at 28. This planet carrier lcarries the planet gears 29 meshingwith the anv nular gear 23 and with eachgear 29 is .formed an integralppinion 30, these pinions 30 meshinglwith a gear 31.` formed as apart.V f

ofthe sleeve 32 hushed, vas at 33, for vrota-V tion around the sleeve 27. f

A second planet carrier 343i's carried by the sleeve 32, being keyed to the latter, as indicated at 35, and'being further secured, as by rivets 36 which extend through the gear 31.V The planet carrier 34 carries the pinions 37 which meshwith the gears 38 Y and 39, the former being carried by the drive shaft v11 and the latter by the sleeve 27. As shown, the gears are formed aS in-l tegral parts of the shaft and sleeve but obviouslymay be made separate vand secured thereto in any suitable manner.

Mounted on the shaft 11at the end but to the rear ofthe forward wall of the casing is af governor head 40 :provided forward t i i with i laterally projecting ears 41 between which are disposed for pivotal movement on vthe studs 42, the eyes of rods 43, these rods extending through eyes 44 in the extremities .of the governor arms 45 pivoted to the governor head 40 at the periphery, as indicated at 46.r The free extremities of the vgovernor arms are weighted, as indicated at 47, and they are impelled normally inward by compression springs48 surrounding the rods 43 and compressed between the Y eyes 44 and `adjustable collars 49 mounted on the rods 43. The governors at intermediate points are provided with rollers 50" movable in slots 51 formed in the periphery of the disk 52. The slots are `disposed at an angle to l the radius of thedisk and the latter is car'- ried by the sleeve 27, being keyed to the sleeve,'as indicated at 53, and being-further secured as by a nut 54 threaded on the sleeve and bearing against the disk.

In the description of the operation, let

it be assumed that the structure is viewed as indicated by the arrow A in Figure 1. If, when the driving motor is started. the

direction of rotation of the shaft 11 is right handedly, the direction of rotation of the gear 38 will be right handedly. Let the stub shaft 17 be under load; then the rotation of the casing 19-20 is opposed. Since the-gears 38 and 39 are of the same diameter, meshing with the common planetary pinions 37, the gear 39 and with it the sleeve 27 will rotate right handedly at the same angular speed as the drlver 11. Since the carrier 26 is fixed to the sleeve 27, its angular movement will be the same i sulting in a' right handed rotation of the carrier 34 since it is positively connected with the gear 31 with which the pinions 30 mesh. With nothing to restrain it, the carrier 34 is free to move and under such conditions, the casing 19-20 and therefore the load might remam at rest with the driver running at full speed, the planet gears 29 under these conditions rotating on their own axes left handedly, with the carrier 26 run ning at the same angular speed as the driver ,and in thesame direction. Being integral with the `planet gears 29, the pinions 30 would have the same angular speed as the planet gears 29 and running left handedly, would rotate the gear 3l right handedlyr and therefore move the carrier 34 right handedly, its angular velocity with respect to that of the driver depending on the gear ratio. The casing 1.9-20 and therefore the load can remain at rest with the driver moving only when the carrier 34 is free to rotate. The governor, however, is employed to resist this. Upon the. rotation of the driving member, centrifugal force tends t0 swing the governor balls 47 outwardly and therefore the rolls 50 traverse the cam slots 51 in the disk 52. These cam slots being disposed at angles to the radius of the disk and the movement of the governor arms being in radial directions, a slight relative or turning movement between the driver 11 and sleeve 27 is effective, tending to disalign the teeth on the gears 38 and 39, thus imposing a resistance to turning movement of the inions 37 on their own axes. If the load e light enough, the effect of the operation of the governors will be sufficient to completely stop axial rotation of the pinions 37 and the planet carrier 34 will then rotate in synchronism with the driver and the planet carrier 26 always rov tating in synchronism with the driver, there can be no axial rotation of the planet gears 29--30, so that the casing 19-20 and the load will move at driver s speed.

When the load increases, as when the apparatus is used in connection with a vehicle and the latter is ascending an incline, the casing 19--20 may drop below the angular speed of the driver. this condition always being attended with the rotation of the planet gears 29-30 on their ownaxes and Lother of said planet carriers with the therefore the rotation of the planet carrier y 34 at a different angular speed from the driver, the pinions 37'- under these conditions undergoing axial rotation despite the The invention aving been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A transmission having driving and driven members, a pair of planet carriers of which one has planetary gears operatively connecting it with the driving member, operative connections between the two planet carriers, planetary gearing connecting the other of said planet carriers with the driven member, and an automatic governor controlling the geared connection with the driving member and with the first carrier.

2. A transmission having driving and driven members, a pair of planet carriers of which one has planetary gears operatively connecting it with the driving member, operative connections between the tWo planet carriers. planetary gearing connecting the other of said planet carriers with the driven member, and an automatic governor controlling the geared connection with the driving member, said governor being carried by the driving member.

3. A transmission having driving and driven members, a pair of planet carriers of 'which one has planetary gears operatively connecting it with the driving member, operative connections between the two planet carriers, planetary gearing connectin the iven member, and an automatic governor con trolling the geared connection with the driving member, said governor being carried b v the driving member and actuated thereby.

4. A transmission comprising driving and driven members, a pair of ear-connected planet carriers each of whic is rovided with planetary gears, the gears o one of said carriers operatively connecting it with the driving member and those of the other carrier operatively connecting it with the driven member, and means for retarding the rotation of the gears of the first carrier on their own axes.

5. A transmission comprising driving and driven members, a pair of gear-connected planet carriers each of which is provided with planet-ary gears, the gears of one of said carriers operatively connecting it with the driving member and those of the other carrier operatively connecting it with the. driven member, and a driver-actuated gevernor for controlling the rotation ci the gears of the first carrier on their own axes.

6. A transmission comprising driving and driven members, a planet carrier having planetary gears. the driver having a gear meshing with said planetary gears, a second planet carrier having planet-ary gears, a gear corresponding to and concentric with the gear of the driver and meshing with the planetary gears of the first carrier, said last named gear being operatively connected with the second planet carrier, the planetary gears ot' the second carrier operatively connecting with the driven member and with the-first carrier, and a governor for effecting relative angular movement between the gear of said driver and said corresponding gear to retard the rotation of the gears of the first said carrier on their own axes.

7. A transmission comprising driving and driven members, a planet carrier having planetary gears, the driver having a gear meshing with said planetary gears. a second planet carrier having planetary "ears, a gear corresponding to and concentrlc with the gear of the driver and meshing with the planetary gears of the first carrier, said last named gear being operatively connected with the second planet carrier, the planetary gears of the second carrier operatively connecting with the driven member and with the first carrier, a governor for effecting relative angular movement between the gear of said driver and said corresponding gear to retard the rotation of the gears of the first said carrier on their own axes, said corresponding to and concentric; with the'v gear of the driverv andimeshing with'jthg.:

planetary gears of the first carrier,rs`aidil ast named gear being operatively connected with` the second planet carrier, the planetaryv gears of the second carrier operativel con.-

nccting with the driven member an with the first carrier, a governor for-effecting relative angular movement between ythe gear of said driver and said corresponding gea-r to retard the rotation of the-gears of the first said carrier on their' "own A'a.xes,.said governor comprisinga -head and pivotally mounted governor armscarried thereby, and a disk operatively 'connected with the ear corresponding to the gear on saidA driver and ha ving'cam slots in which said governor arms operate, said governor arms being spring impelled in one direction and actuated by centrifugal force inbpposition to said spring. '4 f In testimony whereof he afiixes his signature.

ZENO ALEXANDER. 

